Pocket-knife and the like.



C. A. SJOBERG.

POCKET KNIFE AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED' $311.8, 1911.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

CARL A. SJOBERG', 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

POCKET-KNIFE AND THE LIKE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 8, 1911.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Serial No. 648,281.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. SJOBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pocket- Knives and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pocket knives and similar implements in which the blade whennot in use is sheathed or incased within that part of the appliance which forms the handle when in use.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide such a knife which can be conveniently opened or closed with a motion of a single hand, and in which the blade when opened is held firmly and rigidly, and when closed is held without liability of being accidentally opened.

It is among the objects of the invention to accomplish these results by an inexpensive and durable construction which is capable of artistic design or decoration and which is capable of holding several blades or other tools similarly controlled in a single instrument.

It is also the object of the invention to provide the other advantages that are characteristic of the construction hereinafter described.

These objects are attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of an open pocket knife embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same inverted; Fig. 3 is a side view of the same, closed and with the plate 19 removed; Fig. 4 is an edge view in section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 respectively are end views in secA tion on the lines 5-5, 6 6 and 7-7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a detail,

showing the locking pin and the thumb piece controlling it; and Fig. 9 is an edge view of a two bladed pocket knife.

Referring to the drawings, the blade 10 is seen with its haft or shank l1 incased in the handle of the device. This' handle may be made in several ways but is most conveniently constructed by using the top and bottom plates marked respectively 12 and 13, separated by side filling pieces 14, which provide the necessary space between the plates l2 and 13 to allow comfortable and easy entrance of the blade. By this means the sheath for the knife is formed, the width of the haft 11 being a little greater than the width of the blade 10 and there being a loose running t between the filling pieces 14 at the sides of the sheath. A pin 15 passing through the sheath near the edge is adapted to engage a shoulder at the point where the haft joins the blade, and thus to prevent the haft from passing out of the sheath. The adjacent portion of the filling piece 14 is preferably smooth and straight, for bearing against the yadjacent portion of the haft edge. On the other edge of the haft (see Fig. 3), is one-half 16, of a hole which, when put with the other half 17, of the hole which is located in the other filling piece 14, constitutes a complete split socket into which the conical pin 18 may be driven, comprising a combined wedge and bolt. This pin is mounted on a thumb piece 19 pivoted on the handle at 20 and controlled by a spring 21 which tends to turn the thumb piece on its pivot so that the pin is driven into the split hole, thus driving the haft against the opposite piece 14 Where its bearing against the flat, straight inner edge of the filling piece 14 positions the blade accurately as to.direction. The presence of the pin in the split hole holds it thus accurately positioned. By depressing the rear end of the thumb piece against the spring, the pin is withdrawn from the split hole and the haft is then free to slide inward in the sheath. It may in like manner be looked at any intermediate position, for which purpose a notch or half hole may be provided in the back edge of the blade at any desired location, as for example, at 16. Vhen the blade is entirely retracted into the sheath it occupies the position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and is held by the pin 18, controlled by the spring 21. As shown, the pin 18 engages the back of the blade at its curved portion and thus prevents the blade from coming out, without requiring a notch, which might be unsightly, to be out in that part of the blade. The thumb piece is preferably arranged with the short arm of its lever at the rear and over the spring, while the long arm is toward the blade, which is the part where pressure of the thumb is most likely to happen if it occurs accidentally while the blade is extended. Such pressure would then tend only to fasten the blade more firmly. This arrangement also provides a safety device,

be V:anse when arranged as represented the longer exposed portion of the lever is the portion Which locks the blade in its place, so that the pressure of a firm grip applied to the Whole of the thumb piece tendsl to hold it locked oiving to the preponderance of surface of the locking sido.

lhe construction of the thumb piece and its arrangimients may be effected in various ways. `ln Fig. l is shovvn an arrangement in which a very thin knife and sheath combination result, so thin in fact, that there is not room on one plate for even the thickness of the thin thumb plate, and this therefore is rais d above it. ln this construction the edges of the top plate l2 are turned up around the hole which has been cut therein to receive the thumb plate and the pivot pin 20 of the thumb plate is mounted in these turned up edges, as seen more clearly in Fig. 2. The spring 21 may be fastened to the under side of the plate l?. by one or more rivets, and may if desired be additionally fastened by setting it into the plate l2 a little, and by bending the edges of the plate over or around the springs edges. rllhe casing around the thumb piece may, if preferred, be formed of a piece brased upon the plate l2, having a hole suitable to receive the thumb piece punched in it. Or, if preferred, the plate l2 may be made of sufficient thickness to receive the thumb piece Within itself, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

The construction described obviously uses only one side l2 of the sheath, consequently the other sided?, may be put against the blank side of a similar sheath making a double knife as illustrated in Fig. 9. In fact, this blank side 13 may be combined in various Ways to make a multiple tool, by superimposing this sheath With its blade or other toolA upon a similar sheath containing any other too-l or device, putting together the sides that have no thumb piece.

rllhc thumb piece may be user. as a name plate or for other markings. rllhe side plate l?, may be of pearl or other material and of course may be ornamented by engraving as desired. lf made of pearl, the pearl Would ordinarily be mounted on a plate like l2, 1.23, Fig. l and Fig. 2, with a hole cntthrough the pearl through which the thumb plate and its surrounding frame, if any, may project to a position flush With the surfaces of the pearl.

The rigidity of the blade or other tool in the handle is attained 'with certainty by providing a sufliciently long bearing of the haft on the filling piece lll, in combination with the pressure provided by the conical pin 1S which pushes these tivo parts together and Ywhich holds them so until the conical. pin l@ is Withdrawn. ln order to noaa-,ree

make certain of a firm grasp being always thus attained, it may be desirable in some cases to hollow the edge of the haft betwen the extremities of its bearing so that there will always be a bearing point at each end of it, as illustrated at ll, Fig. 3.

llt/*hen a pearl ornamentation is superimposed on the steel plate ,l2 the spring 2l may be fastened on either side of the plate l2. So also when an ornamental pearl piece is mounted on the plate l2 the thickness of this pearl piece may be utilized as a means for protecting the thumb piece from being moved, except when the operator so intends, because under these circumstances the thumb piece may be sunken somewhat below the general surface of thc pearl. The invention may also be applied in other vvays not necessary here to be described.

ln operation the user simply depresses the butt end of the thumb piece, thus Withdraiving the pin 1S from its split socket and thus allowing the blade to fall by gravity either into the sheath or out from the sheath, according to the Way it is held, a n'iovcmont which the user can aid if necessary by arring it slightly.

l claim l. A pocket knife or other tool comprising, in combination, a sheath, a blade movable endwise into and out of the sheath, and a removable pin inserted between one edge of the sheath and the adjacent edge of the blade in a direction perpendicular to the sides of the blade, and engaging both of said adjacent edges, thereby forcing them apart and forcing the other edge of the blade against the other edge of the sheath and preventing movement of the blade relative to the sheath.

2. A pocket knife or other tool comprising, in combination, a sheath and a blade movable endwise into and out of the sheath and a tapered pin inserted transversely between one edge of the sheath and one edge of the blade, and there being a bearing for the other edge of the blade against the other edge of the sheath, the blade thus being wedged by the pin between the tivo edges of the sheath.

3. A pocket knife or other tool comprising, in combination, a sheath and a blade moif'able endWise into and out of the sheath, and a pin inserted transversely between one edge of the sheath and one edge of the blade, engaging both the sheath and the blade, thereby holding both together to prevent said cndivise movement; there being in each of said edges a notch, which notches, when placed together, form a hole into which the pin may enter.

4t. A. pocket knife or other tool comprising, in combination, a sheath and a blade movable endvvise into and out of the sheath,

and a pin inserted transversely between one edge of the sheath and one edge of the blade, engaging both the sheath and the blade, thereby holding them both together to prevent said endwise movement; there being in each of said edges a notch, which notches, when placed together, form a hole into which the pin may enter; a lever holding the pin and set in the exterior of the sheath; and a spring pressing the lever normally in direction to drive the pin into such hole.

5. A pocket knife or other tool comprising, in combination, a sheath and a blade movable endwise into and out of the sheath,

there being a notch in the interior of an edge of the sheath and one or more notches Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.,

in the adjacent edge of the blade adapted to coperate therewith to form a hole into which a pin may enter transversely, said pin or hole being of tapering form; whereby, on insertion of the pin, the blade and sheath are bolted against endwise motion relative to each other and the blade is forced edgewise against the other edge of the sheath; and means set in the sheath, for controlling the pin.

Signed by me at Providence, R. I., this fifth day of Sept., 1911.

CARL A. SJOBERG.

Witnesses:

OSCAR SILVIUs, CARL V. BERG.

Washington, D. C. 

